NFL zeroed in on locker room attendant

[Bad Morty]

  

Have fun being hidden.

 

I will, thanks! Lol...is there anything more pathetic than this passive agressive nonsense? "Oh noes! Somebody blocked me on an internet forum!" Lol.

[ricker182]

Many/most of the same columnists who jumped on the deflategate nonsense were writing articles accusing the Colts of tanking that season. Don't make it out like I'm the only person who believes this. In fact, after Kraft's speech last night, I'll bet there are more people who believe the Colts tanked that season than believe the Pats tampered with balls. Mob justice is fun, eh?

Is the NFL investigating us? 

  

Facts are fun, eh?

[ricker182]

I will, thanks! Lol...is there anything more pathetic than this passive agressive nonsense? "Oh noes! Somebody blocked me on an internet forum!" Lol.

Your posts add nothing to the discussion. That's your problem, not mine.

[bababooey]

Is the NFL investigating us? 

  

Facts are fun, eh?

Coming from the guy who's team accused Woody Johnson of "tampering". Joke

[Bad Morty]

Tanking games? Our QB was Dan Orlovsky and we almost won a week 16 game to Jacksonville that would have cost us Luck. Not really tanked on purpose. Both the teams at the end of Peyton's career and beginning of Luck's are terrible with the QB's bailing them out. Your team flat out CHEATED

 

Okie dokie. Lol...again - I don't pretend there's morality in pro-sports, so it makes no difference to me whether they tanked or not, so if you are ok accepting a 7 year run where 69 games were won in 6 of the years but only 2 were won in the year where the franchise QB was draft eligible, then go right ahead. Nobody else in the country buys it, so there's your "integrity" for ya.

[dw49]

And weren't many of those players on the team that won 36 games in the 3 years prior? Again - this is the type of thing that makes it foolish as a professional sports fan to try to claim any type of moral high ground. Nobody blames teams that tank for a draft pick when there is a legit franchise changing player available. But it's embarrassing to claim that a teams that averaged 12 wins per year for 2008, 2009, and 2010, and then won 11 games per year from 2012 to 2014 (with a rookie QB in 2012) tried it's hardest to win games in 2011 but could only manage to win 2. That's laughable and I suspect you all know it.

 

 

Somebody has to stink. If you look at that roster , we had Freeney , Mathis , Bethea and 2 WR's. Saturday was cooked , Clarke was also cooked. Was a team with a terrible O line , no running game , horrible QB , no decent CB's , terrible LB's. I have no idea of what you are talking about. Go look at the roster and find the talent. 

 

But yeah.. keep deflecting. Because your team smells like bad feet , doesn't mean they all cheat. 

[bababooey]

Okie dokie. Lol...again - I don't pretend there's morality in pro-sports, so it makes no difference to me whether they tanked or not, so if you are ok accepting a 7 year run where 69 games were won in 6 of the years but only 2 were won in the year where the franchise QB was draft eligible, then go right ahead. Nobody else in the country buys it, so there's your "integrity" for ya.

I guess every time a team gets a number 1 pick we should try to kick them while they are down and accuse them of cheating too. Obviously you don't pretend there is morality in pro-sports, your team wrote the book on how to disregard the rulebook

[bababooey]

Somebody has to stink. If you look at that roster , we had Freeney , Mathis , Bethea and 2 WR's. Saturday was cooked , Clarke was also cooked. Was a team with a terrible O line , no running game , horrible QB , no decent CB's , terrible LB's. I have no idea of what you are talking about. Go look at the roster and find the talent. 

 

But yeah.. keep deflecting. Because your team smells like bad feet , doesn't mean they all cheat. 

If anything it goes to show the greatness of Peyton, take Brady out of New England and you go 11-5 and miss the playoffs on a tiebreaker in a fluke season where the Jets and Dolphins were actually good.

[Cynjin]

Okie dokie. Lol...again - I don't pretend there's morality in pro-sports, so it makes no difference to me whether they tanked or not, so if you are ok accepting a 7 year run where 69 games were won in 6 of the years but only 2 were won in the year where the franchise QB was draft eligible, then go right ahead. Nobody else in the country buys it, so there's your "integrity" for ya.

  

I just feel the need to remind you of part of a previous post of yours. You apparently amuse yourself.

These "theories" are fun to read. I'm thoroughly amused at how many people are willing to subscribe to outlandish and unrealistic conspiracies.......

[RockThatBlue]

I will, thanks! Lol...is there anything more pathetic than this passive agressive nonsense? "Oh noes! Somebody blocked me on an internet forum!" Lol.

Yes, your posts.

[Bad Morty]

  

I just feel the need to remind you of part of a previous post of yours. You apparently amuse yourself.

 

So do you think tanking exists in sports? Do you believe teams tank for draft picks?

[Cynjin]

So do you think tanking exists in sports? Do you believe teams tank for draft picks?

What has that got to do with what I posted? You posted about being amused by people believing outlandish theories and then you post one. Is the irony of that really lost on you?

[jabbanobadda]

Deflecting...rule 3 in the cheaters guide to cheating.

Rule #1: Cheat. "If ya can't beat em, cheat em!"

Rule #2: Lie. "Herp derp, our spy cameras didn't see any deflate-gate type stuff..."

Rule #3: Deflect. "Remember that one time that one player did something a long time ago?"

[Bad Morty]

What has that got to do with what I posted? You posted about being amused by people believing outlandish theories and then you post one. Is the irony of that really lost on you?

 

Why do you say this is an "outlandish" idea? It was one of the major stories of the 2011 season, so let's not pretend that this is some "new crazy conspiracy theory". Florio, Kravitz, and many many others in the mainstream NFL media believe the Colts tanked that year, and if you went through the NFL record books, you'd be hard pressed to find many teams that had THIS big a drop-off for just one year, and then right back to being a playoff team. But no matter - I don't expect any Colts fans who are lining up throw stones at the "immoral" Pats to acknowledge their own team's "sins". But me personally, I don't throw stones when I live in a glass house. Integrity isn't something I only hold my team's rivals accountable for.

[The Old Crow]

So do you think tanking exists in sports? Do you believe teams tank for draft picks?

I just checked for the heck of it on which franchise had the most # 1 overall picks in NFL history. The Colts were #1 with seven, but three were during the Baltimore era, while New England was third with five. I don't think this was done intentionally , but it was a bad team, owner, or just a bad year. By the way , the Rams were second with six.

[bababooey]

Why do you say this is an "outlandish" idea? It was one of the major stories of the 2011 season, so let's not pretend that this is some "new crazy conspiracy theory". Florio, Kravitz, and many many others in the mainstream NFL media believe the Colts tanked that year, and if you went through the NFL record books, you'd be hard pressed to find many teams that had THIS big a drop-off for just one year, and then right back to being a playoff team. But no matter - I don't expect any Colts fans who are lining up throw stones at the "immoral" Pats to acknowledge their own team's "sins". But me personally, I don't throw stones when I live in a glass house. Integrity isn't something I only hold my team's rivals accountable for.

The deflection is strong with this one.

[Cynjin]

Why do you say this is an "outlandish" idea? It was one of the major stories of the 2011 season, so let's not pretend that this is some "new crazy conspiracy theory". Florio, Kravitz, and many many others in the mainstream NFL media believe the Colts tanked that year, and if you went through the NFL record books, you'd be hard pressed to find many teams that had THIS big a drop-off for just one year, and then right back to being a playoff team. But no matter - I don't expect any Colts fans who are lining up throw stones at the "immoral" Pats to acknowledge their own team's "sins". But me personally, I don't throw stones when I live in a glass house. Integrity isn't something I only hold my team's rivals accountable for.

It's an outlandish idea and no Kravitz does not believe that the Colts tanked. As far as Florio goes, I do not know what he has said on the subject, the fact that he is a lawyer is enough for me to take whatever he says with a grain of salt. The Colts team had such a drop off because they did not have a back up QB, that was Polian's fault. One that ultimately cost Polian his job. But you keep living in your deluded world and keep missing the contradictory and ironic nature of your posts.

[PuntersArePeopleToo]

And weren't many of those players on the team that won 36 games in the 3 years prior? Again - this is the type of thing that makes it foolish as a professional sports fan to try to claim any type of moral high ground. Nobody blames teams that tank for a draft pick when there is a legit franchise changing player available. But it's embarrassing to claim that a teams that averaged 12 wins per year for 2008, 2009, and 2010, and then won 11 games per year from 2012 to 2014 (with a rookie QB in 2012) tried it's hardest to win games in 2011 but could only manage to win 2. That's laughable and I suspect you all know it.

And i suspect that you don't realize how bad the colts were in when manning didnt play in the second half of games in 2009.

And then you cant understand how a quarterback can make a team

[Gramz]

successfully turned this into Tankgate. Can we please get back on topic? :topic:

[Flying Elvis]

Tanking games? Our QB was Dan Orlovsky and we almost won a week 16 game to Jacksonville that would have cost us Luck. Not really tanked on purpose. Both the teams at the end of Peyton's career and beginning of Luck's are terrible with the QB's bailing them out. Your team flat out CHEATED

You also gave the Pats a scare and the Steelers too. We don't cheat, though.

[The Old Crow]

successfully turned this into Tankgate. Can we please get back on topic? :topic:

You never heard them say how they Sunk it for Plunkett, or laid low for Bledsoe !

[indy1888]

So do you think tanking exists in sports? Do you believe teams tank for draft picks?

 

I was at a Thursday night game that year late in the year in which the Colts could have locked up or came darn close to locking up the number 1 pick that year.  It was against a pretty good Houston team.  The "tanking" Colts came from behind and scored a final seconds touchdown to win the game and put the number 1 pick in jeopardy.  Yep, that just screams tanking.   Now, carry on deflecting.

[coltsva]

Ah yes, the old pin it on the ball boy trick.

 

USC vs Oregon  2012

[The Old Crow]

Ah yes, the old pin it on the ball boy trick.

USC vs Oregon 2012

Well Kraft said it was hogwash.

[Blue Horseshoe]

Okie dokie. Lol...again - I don't pretend there's morality in pro-sports, so it makes no difference to me whether they tanked or not, so if you are ok accepting a 7 year run where 69 games were won in 6 of the years but only 2 were won in the year where the franchise QB was draft eligible, then go right ahead. Nobody else in the country buys it, so there's your "integrity" for ya.

 

Even if they did intentionally throw the season what difference does that make?  There is no rule which says a team can't lose football games to secure a specific draft pick.  There is, on the other hand, a rule specifying an exact range of football inflation pressures, a rule which the Patriots broke and which it looks more and more like they broke it intentionally.

[Bad Morty]

Even if they did intentionally throw the season what difference does that make?  There is no rule which says a team can't lose football games to secure a specific draft pick.  There is, on the other hand, a rule specifying an exact range of football inflation pressures, a rule which the Patriots broke and which it looks more and more like they broke it intentionally.

 

What difference does it make if a team is intentionally losing games?! If you are a fan of a team fighting for a playoff spot and you aren't playing the team that's tanking that year, then you are at a major disadvantage compared to the teams that ARE playing that team...and at an even greater disadvantage to the divisional opponents of that team who get to play the tanking team twice. I can't cite chapter and verse of the rule book, but yeah - I'm pretty certain that it's a rule that you aren't allowed to intentionally lose games for a draft pick. Your team needs a win to get in the playoffs and you have a choice to either deflate the footballs and play against a team trying to win OR play with fully inflated footballs against a team trying to lose for a draft pick...which would you choose?

[bababooey]

What difference does it make if a team is intentionally losing games?! If you are a fan of a team fighting for a playoff spot and you aren't playing the team that's tanking that year, then you are at a major disadvantage compared to the teams that ARE playing that team...and at an even greater disadvantage to the divisional opponents of that team who get to play the tanking team twice. I can't cite chapter and verse of the rule book, but yeah - I'm pretty certain that it's a rule that you aren't allowed to intentionally lose games for a draft pick. Your team needs a win to get in the playoffs and you have a choice to either deflate the footballs and play against a team trying to win OR play with fully inflated footballs against a team trying to lose for a draft pick...which would you choose?

You play the AFC EAST and are in the SUPERBOWL w home field advantage every year. Seems you don't mind when it's convenient for you.

[Blue Horseshoe]

What difference does it make if a team is intentionally losing games?! If you are a fan of a team fighting for a playoff spot and you aren't playing the team that's tanking that year, then you are at a major disadvantage compared to the teams that ARE playing that team...and at an even greater disadvantage to the divisional opponents of that team who get to play the tanking team twice. I can't cite chapter and verse of the rule book, but yeah - I'm pretty certain that it's a rule that you aren't allowed to intentionally lose games for a draft pick. Your team needs a win to get in the playoffs and you have a choice to either deflate the footballs and play against a team trying to win OR play with fully inflated footballs against a team trying to lose for a draft pick...which would you choose?

 

Teams get kept out of the playoffs by other teams throwing games all the time.  It happens quite often when teams rest players at the end of the season.  Doing so lets some teams in who probably don't deserve it while keeping others out.  It is not team A's job to try to win the game so team B can make the playoffs. 

[bababooey]

Teams get kept out of the playoffs by other teams throwing games all the time. It happens quite often when teams rest players at the end of the season. Doing so lets some teams in who probably don't deserve it while keeping others out. It is not team A's job to try to win the game so team B can make the playoffs.

We let the jets in the playoffs in 2009 by resting our players, they had the opportunity to beat the bengals to get in the playoffs and face....the bengals. They won those games and beat the chargers before losing to us in the afc cg. Now I guess we let some other teams in the playoffs for starting orlovsky and painter all year in 2011. Shame on us were cheaters just as bad as New England.

[bababooey]

I guess we should have been DQ'd from the playoffs too for resting our guys in Dallas and letting them in the playoffs over the Eagles too...

[Bad Morty]

Teams get kept out of the playoffs by other teams throwing games all the time.  It happens quite often when teams rest players at the end of the season.  Doing so lets some teams in who probably don't deserve it while keeping others out.  It is not team A's job to try to win the game so team B can make the playoffs. 

I agree...and if it were my team, I would want them to do the same to get a better draft pick or to rest for the playoffs. But once you acknowledge and accept that teams don't always try to win games and in fact sometimes try to lose games, it makes you a hypocrite to cry about other teams harming the integrity of the game. You can talk deflated balls and video-taping signals in plain sight of everyone all you like...that is nothing on the scale of a team throwing a regular season game. But that's the hypocrisy that exists among fans.

[jvan1973]

Why do you say this is an "outlandish" idea? It was one of the major stories of the 2011 season, so let's not pretend that this is some "new crazy conspiracy theory". Florio, Kravitz, and many many others in the mainstream NFL media believe the Colts tanked that year, and if you went through the NFL record books, you'd be hard pressed to find many teams that had THIS big a drop-off for just one year, and then right back to being a playoff team. But no matter - I don't expect any Colts fans who are lining up throw stones at the "immoral" Pats to acknowledge their own team's "sins". But me personally, I don't throw stones when I live in a glass house. Integrity isn't something I only hold my team's rivals accountable for.

If the colts were tanking in 2011 caldwell polian and the entire staff and front office wouldn't have been fired

[Bad Morty]

If the colts were tanking in 2011 caldwell polian and the entire staff and front office wouldn't have been fired

 

The Arizona Cardinals made the playoffs this year and won several games with their 3rd and 4th string QB's, guys who will likely never play another snap in the NFL. If you choose to be outraged over things that violate the supposed integrity of the game, and you are willing to convict on circumstantial evidence, then I'm sorry but you are enormous hypocrites if you believe there was no tanking involved in 2011....it was just pure coincidence that a team that won 12 games per year for 3 years straight and was then good enough to win 11 games per year thereafter just happened to have an historically bad year during the season when the next franchise QB was going to be available in the draft. What a strange and fortunate coincidence!

[ColtsBlueFL]

I agree...and if it were my team, I would want them to do the same to get a better draft pick or to rest for the playoffs. But once you acknowledge and accept that teams don't always try to win games and in fact sometimes try to lose games, it makes you a hypocrite to cry about other teams harming the integrity of the game. You can talk deflated balls and video-taping signals in plain sight of everyone all you like...that is nothing on the scale of a team throwing a regular season game. But that's the hypocrisy that exists among fans.

 

While perceived infractions get lumped into many areas (including compromising integrity etc...) many folks just want clarification on

 

1. Exactly what happened

2. Does it break any current rules

3. Does it thwart the Spirit and Intent of any current rules

4. Will said action be made legal, or will said action classified as illegal in the future

5. How will it be determined and enforced in the future if declared an illegal action

6. What extra safeguards can be implemented to eliminate/reduce others form trying to perform same actions?

 

Not everyone is totally focusing on the perp, per se`

 

[Tsarquise]

The Arizona Cardinals made the playoffs this year and won several games with their 3rd and 4th string QB's, guys who will likely never play another snap in the NFL. If you choose to be outraged over things that violate the supposed integrity of the game, and you are willing to convict on circumstantial evidence, then I'm sorry but you are enormous hypocrites if you believe there was no tanking involved in 2011....it was just pure coincidence that a team that won 12 games per year for 3 years straight and was then good enough to win 11 games per year thereafter just happened to have an historically bad year during the season when the next franchise QB was going to be available in the draft. What a strange and fortunate coincidence!

So why would Caldwell and Polian and all of the current players of that season put their careers on the line so the Colts could get Andrew Luck. Makes. No. Sense.

Then everybody got fired.....

[horseshoeblue22]

[Here's my review of the situation. I tried not to tie in any of the "unofficial" reports, please let me know what you think]

 

What Patriot fans believe: The NFL set this up as a sting operation, at half time in the AFC Championship game. League officials then leaked the story to Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star before they could prove anything. Now the league is stalling, because they can't come up with any proof and are unwilling to put this to bed. Science explains everything, and the ball boy spent 90 seconds urinating. 

 

What Colt fans believe: The Colts caught the Patriots with under-inflated footballs, and turned it into the league...pressing them to act. The NFL checked the footballs, confirmed the Colts suspicions...and did nothing. The Colts feel cheated. The Colts leak the story to Kravitz, and now the story is public. The league now HAS to act, or public outcry threatens the integrity of the Superbowl game. The equipment manager broke protocol by carrying the footballs into the bathroom, and this is a obvious clue that he tampered with the footballs

 

What the league wants you to believe: League officials acted on their own, based on obtained information. The Colts had nothing to do with it. The Colts didn't notice an investigation going on during the game. The Patriots didn't notice anything unusual either. The balls were re-inflated at halftime, and remained in conformity for the rest of the game. This had no bearing on the outcome of the game. The Colts do not feel cheated. The Patriots won, and there is no reason to make changes to the Super Bowl game. We can not come to a conclusion before the Superbowl, and we cannot postpone the game.

 

What you should know: If you watch the AFC Championship game back, there is a very unusual delay in to the second half, right after the opening kick off return. The referees pull the ball off the field, throw another one out there. That ball is spotted, but before play starts...that ball is pulled too and a third ball is put on the field. Pagano is shown on the broadcast speaking into his headset "They are checking the ball." The analysts even comment on this. This is at the start of the 3rd quarter, not during the half time break as the NFL would like you to believe. Pagano knew this was going on, but when questioned, he responded "Didn't notice it, won't comment on it."

 

Bill Belichick calls a press conference on Thursday. He says he knows nothing about the regulations regarding football pressure. He knows nothing about the process of preparing the footballs for game day. He knows nothing about how Tom Brady prefers his footballs to be prepared, go ask Tom.

 

Tom has a presser on the same day, where he is asked to detail the process of preparing the footballs. He describes going into an equipment room full of footballs, the day before the game. He picks out the ones he likes, based on feel. He states that 12.5 PSI in a football is perfect for him, indicating that the equipment manager would then inflate the footballs to 12.5 PSI, the minimum PSI allowed by NFL rule. At that point, Brady does not want anyone touching the balls, altering them, taking any air out or putting air in.

 

Belichick does another press conference on Saturday. He says that the Patriots organization have conducted an independent study, they are trying to get to the bottom of this. In this press conference, Bill describes the process of preparing the footballs for game day, now that he has an understanding of it. He describes getting brand new footballs the day of the game. The equipment managers complete a rubbing process to remove the plastic film/gloss/residue (whatever you want to call it) that comes on a brand new football. He says the referee is instructed to inflate the balls to 12.5 PSI, and suggests the referee may not have done his job. He says that in all his conversations with his quarterbacks and other people, that the "customization" of a football refers to the texture on the outside surface of the ball. Quarterbacks aren't concerned with the inflation of the ball, and cannot tell the difference.

 

Brady is quoted saying he "likes the deflated football" back in 2011.

 

Brady is quoted saying "That some quarterbacks like their footballs a little thinner, some a little more blown up. Some like them a little more broken in, some like them a little more new." back in 2007 when petitioning a rule change that allowed the visiting team to bring their own footballs.

 

Mark Brunell is quoted saying "I always liked my footballs to be blown up at exactly 13 PSI, and I could easily tell if my football was anything more or less then that."

 

Aaron Rodgers is quoted saying he likes his footballs over-inflated, pushing the boundaries of what the referee will allow. 

 

What you should take from this: 

 

-- The NFL official report on the investigation is inaccurate. (All non-conforming footballs were removed during half-time break.)

 

-- The Colts not been completely honest with the media or the public during this investigation (Pagano claiming he didn't notice anything unusual.)

 

-- Bill Belichick and Tom Brady each gave separate accounts as to what goes into the "process of preparing the footballs". Bill's description is vastly different then Tom's, and they seem to directly contradict each other.

 

-- It is extremely unlikely (though not impossible) that the league would intentionally create such a public controversy leading up to their championship game. Publicly questioning the legitimacy of one of your contenders is just something you don't do without some degree of proof. The NFL doesn't want this to be a story. They would have cleared the Patriots already if there was any "reasonable doubt" to suggest this wasn't intentional.

[Bad Morty]

So why would Caldwell and Polian and all of the current players of that season put their careers on the line so the Colts could get Andrew Luck. Makes. No. Sense.

Then everybody got fired.....

 

Careers on the line? Last I checked, Jim Caldwell was doing just fine head coaching the Lions, Bill Polian is in his 70's, and many/most of the players on that team are still playing in the NFL, many still with the Colts. Nobody's career was impacted negatively. Tanking happens. Just look at the Philadelphia 76ers in basketball. But if you are ok with it, please don't preach about integrity.

[jvan1973]

The Arizona Cardinals made the playoffs this year and won several games with their 3rd and 4th string QB's, guys who will likely never play another snap in the NFL. If you choose to be outraged over things that violate the supposed integrity of the game, and you are willing to convict on circumstantial evidence, then I'm sorry but you are enormous hypocrites if you believe there was no tanking involved in 2011....it was just pure coincidence that a team that won 12 games per year for 3 years straight and was then good enough to win 11 games per year thereafter just happened to have an historically bad year during the season when the next franchise QB was going to be available in the draft. What a strange and fortunate coincidence!

if they would have been instructed to lose games on purpose, irsay wouldn't have fired everyone then blown up the roster in the off season. Also they wouldn't have won two of the final four. Your argument doesn't hold up. Its flat if you will

[jvan1973]

Careers on the line? Last I checked, Jim Caldwell was doing just fine head coaching the Lions, Bill Polian is in his 70's, and many/most of the players on that team are still playing in the NFL, many still with the Colts. Nobody's career was impacted negatively. Tanking happens. Just look at the Philadelphia 76ers in basketball. But if you are ok with it, please don't preach about integrity.

no, not many players still in the league, and 5 are still on the colts including two kickers

[bababooey]

I agree...and if it were my team, I would want them to do the same to get a better draft pick or to rest for the playoffs. But once you acknowledge and accept that teams don't always try to win games and in fact sometimes try to lose games, it makes you a hypocrite to cry about other teams harming the integrity of the game. You can talk deflated balls and video-taping signals in plain sight of everyone all you like...that is nothing on the scale of a team throwing a regular season game. But that's the hypocrisy that exists among fans.

Could not be farther from the truth. You are saying we should penalize every team that has the number 1 pick ever because they COULD HAVE missed a tackle that you felt could have stopped them from losing a game. Your team CHEATED and was caught TWICE